NATO commander calls for dialogue with Ukraine's military leaders

Source: Reuters - Wed, 19 Feb 2014 19:35 GMT

Author: Reuters

BRUSSELS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - NATO's top military commander appealed to Ukraine's leaders on Wednesday to avoid using military force against their people and called for dialogue with the country's new military leadership.

In Twitter messages, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, asked that "responsible leaders avoid the use of military force against the people of Ukraine."

"I am calling upon the new military leadership in Ukraine to open a dialogue with us to bring this situation to a peaceful resolution," Breedlove said.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich earlier appointed a new head of the armed forces general staff after street clashes between protesters and police in which at least 26 people have been killed since Tuesday. [ID:nL6N0LO4I} (Reporting by Adrian Croft; editing by Foo Yun Chee)

We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. For more information see our Acceptable Use Policy.